Thomas: NObama.Thomas: NObama.Did you ever wonder what could possibly drive the diehard – dare we say even militant – Hillary Clinton delegates at Donkeypalooza in Denver to cast their ballots for the former First Lady.

You’re free. Fly on your own. I release you to cast your presidential ballot for Barack Obama, the senator from New York told the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits.

But they defied their leader and six delegates from Missouri and six delegates from Kansas stood by their woman before Clinton herself called an end to the madness with a sweeping affirmation to nominate the singular Democrat who has the best shot at reclaiming the White House.

Who are these delegates and what makes them tick?

Let’s listen in on snippets of this intercepted e-mail sent from one such Hillary diehard to her network of news junkie friends. You decide if she's tapped a vein of discontent or just needs a stiffer drink.

Although not a delegate this year, Tracy Thomas, a JoCo Republican and former Shawnee City Council member, was a naïve (her word) alternate in Miami for George McGovern in the summer of 1972. This is what she had to say after day three of the Democratic National Convention.

“First, my heart is sad. I feel like the guns were held to the heads of the Clintons, and they had no choice but to support Barack. He stole Hillary's wiser, more reasoned positions later – after he got the nomination. I do not trust him.

“Second, how did I ever miss those quotes from Harriet Tubman -- ‘When you hear the dogs, keep going.’ Oh God. The best writing in the world.

“Third, I can't do it. I was just in it for Hillary, and for me. And I refuse to vote for a punk who stole her positions and stole this election. I live in Kansas, and so it really does not matter, but I don't trust him!  I can't trust John McCain either!

“I wanted Hillary to talk about the personal side -- that it was hard for her to lose, and now she has moved on and we need to also. But she didn't dare do it. She leapt over that moment. It is like skipping a vital stage of the five stages of grief.

“So I cannot vote for him. I am not over it. Unfinished business. I feel lied to by Obama. I would vote for Joe Biden as president, but not Obama.

“America is in deep trouble. Hillary Clinton had no real choice but to put on her brave face and her orange (Ukrainian revolution) pantsuit. But she did not even dare to talk about her pain, for fear of two things: crying herself and fomenting a revolt on the floor of the convention.

“That's how fragile Obama's tie vs. McCain is in the polls. She could not even claim and own her personal moment, for fear it would flip the momentum to her and away from this faltering, weak puppet man.

“Hillary, I was in it for you. I was in it for us. I was in it for the possibility of women as leaders. You were a superior candidate to either Obama or McCain. I gave you money, when I was living off of my savings, as a tribute to 26 or more years as a feminist. 

“America has sold out and abandoned my issues. Our leaders are the hollow men. They are puppets put up by men behind the scenes. Women have abandoned other women -- including Caroline Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi.  

“I don't see much of a future. God help us.”